By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA—Kogi State Government in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme, UNDP, has committed N120 million for youth training in the state.

The Focal officer of the UNDP, Lokoja, Mr. Joseph Osasona stated this at the opening ceremony of the three week first phase of the Youth Entrepreneurship and Youth in Agriculture camp holding at the NYSC orientation camp in Ashaya, Kabba-Bunu Local Government area of the state.

Osasona, who eulogised Governor Idris Wada’s efforts to make Kogi State re-enlisted into the UNDP projects after a long absence from the scheme, said 500 youths would be trained in the first phase in different vocational and artisans skills.

He said; “We appreciate Governor  Idris Wada, who painstakingly spearheaded the visit to the Minister for National Planning, Abuja to solicit for the re- enlistment of Kogi State into the UNDP activities.

“Of note is the fact that Kogi State is one of the seven states, who will be benefiting in UNDP activities between 2014 and 2017, and more importantly, is the governor’s approval to pay the cash counterpart contribution of N80 million despite government’s lean resources.”

Governor Wada, who was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chief Ali Ajuh, said the state government would harness its bilateral relationship with the UNDP to reduce youth restiveness in the state.

According to him, “It is imperative to say that this skill is geared towards impacting relevant skills on our youths towards making them self reliant instead of waiting for government jobs that are not readily available. The challenge of our time is to organise such vocational programe at the local and state government levels. When this is done successfully, these graduates will transit from being job seekers to being self employed and even employers of labour.”